The Academy, Selsey Review 2026: A small coastal secondary with a clear improvement story

On the Manhood Peninsula, this is a compact 11 to 16 secondary where staff place real emphasis on knowing pupils well and keeping expectations clear. The most recent inspection paints a picture of a school that has tightened up behaviour routines, improved teaching consistency, and is beginning to see outcomes rise as a result.

Academic results are mixed rather than headline grabbing, and the local context matters. The school’s GCSE performance sits below the England average range on the FindMySchool measure, and the Progress 8 figure indicates pupils make less progress than similar pupils nationally. For families who value a smaller setting, steady routines, and a strong pastoral focus, the offer can be persuasive. For families prioritising top-end outcomes and very high EBacc participation, it may feel less aligned.

This is a state school with no tuition fees.

A consistent theme in official evidence is that pupils feel safe and that the school’s pastoral systems are flexible and responsive. That tends to show up day to day in how quickly issues are picked up, and in the sense that staff have a detailed understanding of individual barriers, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

The school also leans on community structures that give pupils a voice and a sense of belonging. A school council is explicitly referenced, alongside a house system that creates regular events and a shared charitable focus. In a smaller secondary, these mechanisms can matter more than they do in very large schools, because participation is easier to scale and staff can follow through.

Leadership stability is important to note. The current headteacher is Jo Ford, and the latest inspection confirms that key senior leaders took up posts after the previous full inspection. For parents, the practical implication is that many of the routines families experience now are likely to be the product of relatively recent changes, rather than long-standing habit.

On the physical side, the school’s history includes a mid-twentieth-century origin in the area, later academy conversion, and significant building change following a major fire in 2016, with a new permanent building opened in 2019. That timeline helps explain why many local families still talk about the “old” and “new” eras of the school, even though it is now firmly established as a modern academy.

On the FindMySchool GCSE outcomes ranking (based on official data), the school is ranked 3318th in England and 5th in the Chichester area. This places performance below the England average range, within the bottom 40% of schools by this measure. (FindMySchool ranking.)

In the most recent dataset provided:

• Attainment 8: 40.2

• Progress 8: -0.26

• EBacc average point score (APS): 3.2

Progress 8 is designed to show the progress pupils make from the end of primary school to GCSE, compared with pupils nationally who had similar prior attainment. A score of -0.26 indicates pupils, on average, make less progress than similar pupils across England.

EBacc APS at 3.2 sits below the England comparator shown (4.08). Taken together with the inspection commentary that EBacc entry remains low, the academic profile suggests a school still building consistency in academic ambition and option choices, rather than one that already has a broad EBacc pipeline embedded across the cohort.

A useful way to interpret these figures is alongside the improvement narrative in the inspection. The report describes teaching and behaviour as having “recently improved” and states that outcomes are improving, which aligns with a school that may be on a trajectory rather than at a destination.

Parents comparing local options can use the FindMySchool Local Hub page and Comparison Tool to view these indicators side by side, particularly the Progress 8 and the FindMySchool ranking position.

The latest evidence describes a curriculum that is now “well-ordered” with a wide GCSE subject offer, supported by staff development and trust involvement. The practical implication is that curriculum planning and sequencing are likely to feel more coherent to pupils than in a period of frequent staffing change, and that subject leaders should be clearer on what pupils are expected to remember over time.

There are also two specific improvement themes that parents should interpret as “work in progress” rather than failure. First, pupils are not always given enough structured opportunities to recall prior knowledge and then apply it to new learning, which can leave gaps and reduce depth. Second, feedback is not yet consistently effective across subjects.

Literacy appears to be a priority. The report states that pupils read frequently and that tailored programmes support those who are not yet fluent. In a secondary without a sixth form, this sort of focus is often a lever for improving outcomes across the board, because reading fluency shapes access to every GCSE specification.

With provision ending at 16, the most relevant question is preparedness for post-16 routes. Careers provision is described as strong, and pupils are supported to plan next steps in education, training, or employment. The report also notes that the school meets provider access requirements, which are intended to ensure pupils encounter information about technical education pathways and apprenticeships, not only academic routes.

The school does not publish destination statistics provided here, so parents should treat destination outcomes as something to explore directly through school guidance, open events, and post-16 planning conversations. A sensible approach is to ask how the school supports three groups: pupils heading for sixth form colleges, pupils seeking vocational or technical routes, and pupils who need a more supported transition.

Year 7 admission is coordinated through West Sussex, rather than handled solely by the school. For September 2026 entry, the local authority’s published key dates show:

• Applications opened Monday 8 September 2025

• The on-time closing date was Friday 31 October 2025 (11:59pm)

• Offer day for on-time applicants is Monday 2 March 2026

Demand indicators from the most recent admissions dataset supplied here suggest the school was oversubscribed on that cycle, with 157 applications for 117 offers, a subscription proportion of 1.34. This is competitive, but not at the extreme end seen in the most oversubscribed coastal secondaries. It also means late applications can materially reduce the chance of securing a preferred place, so families should treat published deadlines as operationally important rather than advisory.

No “last distance offered” figure is available provided, so distance-based expectations cannot be stated reliably here. If proximity is a likely tie-break, families should use the FindMySchool Map Search to understand their exact home-to-school distance and then cross-check against West Sussex oversubscription criteria and the school’s admissions arrangements.

Pastoral support is described as a strength, with pupils reporting that staff take concerns seriously and that the school’s support systems are flexible. That matters particularly in a smaller secondary, where the experience can be shaped by a small number of consistent adult relationships rather than a large pastoral infrastructure.

Behaviour is described as calm and respectful, linked explicitly to new behaviour processes that have improved culture. This is a meaningful signal for families who have been wary of disruption, because behaviour consistency is one of the best predictors of whether pupils can concentrate and whether teachers can teach to the planned curriculum.

One wellbeing-related risk factor is attendance. The inspection notes that a significant minority do not attend as regularly as they should, and that the attendance strategy needs to drive faster improvement. For parents, the implication is twofold: first, the school is likely to be proactive in pursuing attendance; second, pupils who are already anxious about school may need particularly careful transition planning and early support.

The most concrete evidence here is that pupils have access to a broad set of opportunities beyond lessons, framed as clubs, extra activities, day trips and residential trips. The value is not simply entertainment. In a community setting, structured enrichment often functions as a lever for belonging and attendance, because pupils who feel connected to groups and events tend to show better engagement over time.

Two elements stand out as distinctive, because they are anchored in how the school is organised rather than dependent on a rotating timetable. The first is the house system, which creates frequent events and a shared charitable dimension through house-nominated causes. The second is the school council, which gives pupils a formal channel to contribute to decisions and day-to-day improvements. For pupils who thrive when they feel heard, these structures can be more important than any single club.

Trips are also highlighted as part of raising aspirations. Residential experiences, in particular, can be powerful for Year 9 and Year 10 pupils who have had limited exposure beyond the immediate local area. The relevant practical question for parents is how access is ensured for disadvantaged pupils, and what financial support is available for participation, since these elements determine whether trips genuinely reach the full cohort.

This is a smaller-than-average 11 to 16 secondary serving the Selsey area within West Sussex.

The school is part of The Kemnal Academies Trust. Families considering travel should expect a coastal town pattern where many pupils arrive via local transport links into Selsey and by car from surrounding villages; eligibility for local authority school transport support should be checked directly with West Sussex.

• Academic consistency is still developing. The inspection notes that pupils are not always given enough chances to recall and apply prior learning, and feedback is not consistently effective yet. This can leave gaps that matter most at GCSE.

• Attendance is an identified weakness for a significant minority. The school’s strategy is in place, but the pace of improvement needs to accelerate. Families should ask how attendance support works for pupils with anxiety, SEND, or complex family circumstances.

• EBacc take-up remains low. Leaders are working to increase it, but families who want a strongly EBacc-weighted pathway should ask how options are guided and how languages and humanities are positioned at Key Stage 4.

• Personal development coverage is uneven in one area. Some pupils have not had enough opportunities to learn about protected characteristics and fundamental British values, which matters for readiness for modern Britain and workplace culture.

This is a small state secondary with a credible improvement narrative, clear routines, and pastoral systems that are repeatedly described as responsive and effective. The academic data points to outcomes that are still below the England average range on this measure, but with signs of strengthening as curriculum and behaviour systems embed.

It suits families who want a smaller setting, value strong relationships and clear expectations, and are open to a school that is improving rather than already operating at the top end academically. For families seeking consistently high academic outcomes and very strong EBacc uptake, careful questioning at open events is essential before committing.